Required GRE Score for top Universities in Australia

The GRE score is required for different top universities around the world. It is very popular in the United States and even Canada and some parts of Europe. On the other hand, Universities in Australia do not generally ask for it during the admission process. It is important to bear in mind that applicants interested in studying business (e.g. MBA or specialized master’s in business) usually go in for the test. The GRE General Test covers areas such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Candidates should prepare themselves for answering questions in these three broad domains.

GRE Cut off Marks in Australia

Australian Universities do not generally have a set limit or cut off as far as the GRE scores are concerned. In fact, there is more flexibility for students wanting to study business in Australia beacuse the universities do accept the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores as well. There could be a limit for the latter. As an example, the Business School at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) typically asks for a minimum score of 25 on the verbal section, 35 on the quantitative section and 4.0 on the analytical writing part with an overall average score of 550 for GMAT. Similarly, the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne is flexible about GRE or GMAT for the following courses (however taking one is mandatory):

  • Master of Actuarial Science
  • Master of Finance
  • Master of Economics
  • Master of Commerce (Actuarial Science)
  • Master of Commerce (Management)
  • Master of Commerce (Marketing)

Students going in for the Master of Actuarial Science or the Master of Economics are required to sit the GRE for the University of Melbourne.

Required GRE Score

There is no hard and fast rule for a required GRE Score in Australia but students should bear in mind that obtaining a higher score on the Graduate Record Exam signifies that prospective students have the capacity, skills and competencies to succeed at an advanced level of study. Thus, a high score works in the favor of the students. However, there might be exemptions and so applicants should always check with their universities of choice before appearing for the exam. In any case, preparing for the test refreshes one’s knowledge and skills in mathematics, logic and language. Thus, preparation also gears students for the rigors of the real course at the University as research indicates that one’s performance on the test is thoroughly correlated with one’s performance in graduate studies.

There are very few universities that have an absolute requirement for GRE scores as stated above. Therefore, students are advised to consult the official websites of their targeted universities. In order to give a broader overview, students applying to Deakin University (located in Victoria) should know that the university requests for a GRE score of 160 or greater on the verbal reasoning part and a score of 140 or greater on the quantitative reasoning part. These scores may count a lot when applying for scholarships. On similar lines, Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III College in Australia (located in Adelaide) may also request for a GRE score. This could be a tough competition as students are attracted by the fact that they graduate with the ‘Carnegie Mellon American degree’! The other good news is that applicants who undertake the GRE exam in order to satisfy the university’s admission requirements are eligible to apply for reimbursement of the test fees, as part of Carnegie Mellon University – Australia’s Scholarship and Awards program.

Minimum GRE Score Required

The consensus is that there is no golden rule of the thumb for a minimum GRE score as Australian Universities are also open to GMAT scores.  Here are some of the top universities that accept GMAT scores too:

  • Melbourne Business School
  • AGSM MBA at UNSW
  • The College of Business and Economics, Australian National University (ANU)
  • La Trobe Business School
  • The Monash Business School
  • Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University, Sydney
  • Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University, Melbourne

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